I matter too

I have had to make sure I asserted myself last week or else I would have become even more of a doormat than usual.
I have had to stand in front of a mirror and practise saying out loud to myself: ''I matter too.''  I also practised saying: ''It's my day off.''  And just to make sure, I also chimed in with: ''It's my holiday too'' - it isn't yet, but there's nothing like being prepared.
This need to push myself forward has come about because of the school summer holidays.  Despite me telling one and only son for the umpteenth time that I have to work in the mornings and cannot bowl at him or take him to the shops, the work situation has clearly failed to sink in for him.  And it is now spreading to the husband. 
On Sunday, he took one and only son to the park while I went to the supermarket.  He jogged there and one and only son went on his bike.  They were back fairly quickly, both apparently thinking the other wanted to return home after one lap of the park, but both had actually wanted to do another lap.  This confusion over communication led to one and only son saying he wanted to go to the park again in the afternoon.  Husband is working funny hours at the moment, so was setting off for work shortly and wouldn't be able to take him.  It would be up to me to take him.  Not unreasonably, I said he'd been once and should have made the most of that.  Husband then said: ''Go on, you can take him.''
I could have taken him, however I remembered I'd taken him a couple of days earlier, so I felt - again, not unreasonably - that I had done my bit for the moment.  I realised this was a crucial moment.  If I gave in, I would be giving in for the rest of the holidays, so I took a deep breath and said loudly: ''It's my day off work.  I shall be doing nothing today.''
I didn't add on a 'so there', but it hung heavily in the air.
There was silence. Glorious, golden silence.  I could sense this was a subliminal moment in the 'doormat bites back' scenario.
''Oh, err, okay,'' was the answer. 
Result. 
Practising in front of the mirror worked.  I am now working on: ''I can't vacuum until you pick your things off the floor.''
And if I become really bold, I shall practise: ''It's your turn to vacuum.''